Cooking Mama’s creator and intellectual property owner, Office Create, have released a statement regarding the odd situation surrounding the release and Nintendo eShop listing for the Cooking Mama: Cookstar.
In that statement, they state that the publisher Planet Entertainment breached the terms of their contract when they went ahead with the launch after the title didn’t follow the quality standards expected from them.
Also, they mention the recently announced PlayStation 4 launch in Europe, and that they have only authorized Planet Entertainment for a Nintendo Switch release, making this another breach in their contract according to Office Create.
Planet Entertainment’s rights to the IP have been terminated, with Office Create stating that:
On March 30, 2020 Office Create notified Planet of its immediate termination of the license due to Planet’s intentional material breach of the license contract. Despite such notice, Planet continues to advertise and sell the unauthorized version of Cooking Mama: Cookstar on its website in willful violation of Office Create’s rights.
This statement follows a tumultuous launch that included accusations of bitcoin mining and overheating issues. Neither of these claims have been substantiated, but it’s safe to say the launch could have gone smoother to say the least as fans questioned why the release was pulled from digital storefronts.
You can currently purchase a physical copy of the Nintendo Switch launch on the Cooking Mama: Cookstar website, with third party copies available on Amazon and other retail sites.
Based on our review of the previous entry in the series, Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop, as well as the current Metacritic for Cookstar sitting quite low, you may just want to keep this one as a collector’s item if you’re not a mega fan.
And for other simulation titles that might tickle your fancy instead, we have some Steam titles worth looking at, as well as the overall best simulation games out there.
